On A Dark, Dark Road
by joan3
Summary: An AU LukaAbby story- what happens on a dark, dark road.


On A Dark, Dark Road

_On a dark, dark road there was a dark, dark house and in that dark, dark house._

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_"Abby, they're asleep."Abby turned from the wheel briefly. Luka, she saw, was right. The children had fallen asleep in the backseat. Milo was slumped in an indifferent manner to his elder sisters, Ljuba and Istina, who were resting their heads on each other's shoulders. Abby pouted a little and returned her eyes to the road."You know, when I was little, I used to love hearing ghost stories or singing songs while we traveled. It made the trip shorter, you know?"Luka looked at Abby."Ghost stories and songs?" He smirked a little and looked at his watch. "It is three in the morning and we left paved road hours ago. We have not seen any lights, reflector strips, houses, shacks, fences, cows, anything since then and I think I hear the carburetor."Abby scowled at him. Sideseat driver, she thought."You let me drive, remember?" she pointed out. "You were too tired and we had to stop at that chicken place...""Arnie's Chicken Hut," Luka returned."Whatever," Abby muttered. "Anyway, you let me drive because you were tired and the kids were cranky and blahblahblah, so stow it, Sideseat MacCrabby."Luka laughed." Had I been driving for the rest of the day, I would be on paved road, and going in the right direction....""What's wrong with my short cut?" Abby interrupted. "You get lost more than I do. This is the scenic route.""I can't see anything. It's dark," Luka returned.Abby would have none of it."Besides, haven't you heard the song? Over the hills and through the fields to Grandmother's house we go!"Luka's brow furrowed."Isn't that like she is going around the mountain?""Coming around the mountain, Luka," Abby corrected him. "She is coming around the mountain."Luka put on a look of mock chagrin.A short silence fell between them."What's wrong with Arnie's Chicken Hut?" Luka asked.Abby smirked."It's a chain, Luka, that serves chicken a hundred ways...""One hundred and two," Luka supplied smilingly."How can anybody sit there and make up one hundred and two ways to serve chicken? And don't tell me you don't find that huge yellow chicken mascot freaky.""Matja is the one who is afraid of mascots," Luka supplied. "Arnie personally endorses each restaurant. And they have little crossword puzzles and things for the kids. It's so much fun! I never thought eating at a restaurant can be like going to an amusement park!""If I wanted an amusement park, Luka," Abby quipped, "I would go to Six Flags for the day instead of driving a gruelling twelve hours to my mom's in Minnesota."Luka tapped on the window."My father hated travelling. I mean- he did it all the time, so..."Silence."You miss him, don't you?"Luka swallowed an obstruction."Yeah."Abby looked on him sympathetically. He loved his father more than he could say.Luka leaned his head back on the headrest."Tell me when we are in Minnesota.""We are in Minnesota, Luka," Abby corrected, "we're passing through Fort Ridgley...."Before Abby could finish her sentence, the engine sputtered and failed."Shit!" she cussed and tried to restart the car."You'll flood the engine," Luka said with his eyes closed. "I'll go out and see what's wrong.""No, no, I wouldn't want to disturb your beauty sleep," Abby sniped and put on her coat. "I'll just have a quick look. It's probably nothing.""I can go," Luka said drowsily.Abby had already gone to see what was wrong. She was tired, tired of driving and tired of Luka's snide comments."I could go..." Luka said, his eyes fluttering.Luka barely noticed Abby lifting the hood. A flash of white caught his eye.Instantly, Luka shot back up. The hood was up and he couldn't see Abby, nor not the white thing he had just seen."Abby..." Luka whispered.He opened the glove compartment and reached for the flashlight they kept in there. Luka slipped on his jacket and got out of the car."Abby?"Abby was not behind the hood."Abby?!" he called out again.Luka thought she had lost her bearings in the darkness and slipped into the ditch. He shone the flashlight into the darkness. It flickered and then shut off."Shit!" he cussed and slapped the faulty flashlight. It flickered on and off indifferently. This was no good to him now. Abby was not behind the hood and he couldn't see her in the soggy grass of the ditch. Had she wandered into the woods? She might have hurt herself, even been knocked unconscious.Luka rubbed the frustration from his brow. He would have to look for her. There was no question of that. But what to do about the children? He couldn't bring them with him yet he was loathe to leave them behind. Luka got back into the car and reached into Ljuba's little backpack for a glowstick and then for the first-aid kit. Milo stirred a little."Ssshhhh, little baby, sssshhh," Luka lulled and pulled a blanket over him.Luka locked all the doors, shook the glowstick and taped it to the hood of the car. He promised he would be gone for only two minutes.Luka walked along the dark stretch."Abby!"Nothing. Not even crickets.He fanned the flashlight back and forth, occasionally slapping the thing went it went dead. He stepped carefully over the soggy slope and tried to see Abby's distinctive soft blue pullover. Nothing. Just the dead leaves forming humus over twigs and spindly branches. He returned to the road and moved the flashlight to-and-fro. Nothing. Just endless blackness. He looked at his watch. His two-minute mark was nearly up. Still no Abby. He kept walking.Luka looked down at his feet. It was so dark he couldn't even see them. He remembered this kind of darkness at his grandfather's homestead where the only light was from the luminescent moon or the occasional swathing of light from the lighthouse. He once found that darkness pacifying.When Luka looked up again, a house stood to the side like a beacon of dull light. Dull, indeed. The house had two storeys but seemed so hunched and decrepit. Paint chipped off and the cornices were aged. Abby must have gone here, Luka supposed.He quickened his pace and ran to the house. He stamped over the front steps. His foot went through one of them. He would apologize for that when he met the proprietor.  
Luka practically pounded on the door. A light in a backroom was on but there was no movement. A face appeared from the tiny corridor and opened the door."Yes?"Luka was taken aback by the appearance of a tiny woman with light blond hair and skin so pale and worn that it seemed like paper blanched in the sun.Dull gray eyes peered at Luka."Young man, you storm the house so loudly that I fear you may wake the dead."Luka swallowed."I am sorry but I need help."Luka gestured to his car a few kilometres away."Our car broke down."The woman's brow furrowed."Your car?""Yes," Luka nodded. "My wife went to get help and my children..."The woman looked on either side."They are not with you? I know that no one has passed through here in years."Luka was downcast. Abby was still missing."Please. I cannot find my wife and my children are alone, asleep in the car. I need to call someone. Can you help me? Please?"The woman's face was stern and void of expression. "I can help."The woman widened her door."Please, young man. The mosquitoes are quite enough."Luka smiled and went in.Luka looked around, for as much as he could look around in the darkness. Layers of must covered everything, the same that filled his nostrils whenever he breathed in."Are alone here, madame?"The woman walked ahead."No. My son is here but he is..."The woman gave a half-turn, her eyes never looking at Luka."Indisposed."She stopped and turned."Young man, my manners have left me. I have not offered you any refreshments after your long journey, nor do I know your name.""Luka, Luka Kovac," Luka supplied."Ah!" the woman gasped. "You are a foreign gentleman. Here for commerce, no doubt.""No, I am a doctor," Luka supplied.The woman became downcast."A doctor."She straightened her shoulders."It must be done, I suppose."She walked ahead of Luka."The grimmest tasks are always the hardest."She turned into a darkened kitchen."I'm afraid all I have is well water. I have no fuel for the fire and my supplies are low. Please, remove your coat and be comfortable for a while.""It's alright," Luka assured her and removed his jacket.Luka peered through the darkness. There was only faint light from what he supposed was a gas lantern in the backroom. A photograph in an old tin frame was so yellowed Luka could scarcely see the figure in it. It looked like a young man in a uniform of some kind. He was never one to display his own photographs (when he had them) but liked the fact that other people kept them. There was a sort of charm in keeping something from the past.The woman appeared to materialize from the darkness. She carried a filmy glass with her."Here, young Luka."Luka took the glass. No water was in it. Luka decided to say nothing."Um, I do not know your name, madame.""Therése Mitchell. My husband was a captain in the army. My son has followed in his martial footsteps and become a lieutenant."Luka tried to feign interest but an urgent matter pressed."Please, madame, I must call for help. I still need to get to my wife and children."Therése nodded."Yes, of course. Here I am prattling forever while urgent business presses you. I do get lonely being out here.""Your son is here.""He is not well,"Therése returned."What is wrong with him?" Luka asked.Therése became sad."He suffers from a fever and I do not think he'll get well."Therése turned left into an even darker room."You will find here all that you require."Therése clasped her hands together."It was my husband's study. I will get you a light."Luka remained in the study. The must had grown ever thicker and the darkness was disquieting.Therése returned with an oil lantern."Here you are, young Luka."Luka could now see the study. The wallpaper was a faded blue brocade. In the corners, cobwebs hung like old women's hair. Dust covered everything- the armchairs, the credenza, the desk. Portraits were grayed and papers were yellowed. Luka brushed his hand over once such paper. It was like parchment. A stonewall had fallen."You've heard the news?" Therése asked. "It must have circulated by now."Therése also touched the paper."Stonewall. He was a soldier if there ever was one. What was it he said? Come. Let us cross over the river and rest under the shade of the trees."Luka gaped."You never use this room?""I told you," Therése sighed, "it was my husband's study. I have no use for it."Luka could see that. The room looked like it hadn't been touched in ages."Where is the phone?"Therése looked at him strangely."The phone, you say?"Luka's brow furrowed."Yes. Your telephone."Therése brushed her hand over her husband's desk."The telegraph is here."Luka could not believe it. Nothing seemed right."You know, I don't think I need it just now. My wife is probably in the car right now, waiting for me. Thank you..."Therése moved closer to him."But you came all this way for help. Now you don't need it?"Luka tried to speak but couldn't."I am sorry, Mrs. Mitchell. I did not mean to disturb you. I was just lost..."Luka backed out of the study and groped his way through the hall."I really have to get back. My children will wonder where I am.""Children always wonder when their parents are not near," Therése said dreamily. "The first words on their lips are always mother and father. I suppose that they must be near. It is their duty to be near."Luka nodded fervently as he gripped the doorknob. "Yes. I think so."Therése chuckled as Luka tried to open the door."You'll never get the door open that way, Doctor Kovac."Luka spun around.Therése seemed surprised at her addressing him as such."Doctor. You are a doctor, yes?"Luka nodded."Yes. How did...?""You told me, Doctor Kovac,"Therése supplied. "Do you not remember?"Luka nodded."Yes, of course."The door now opened."Thank you."Therése stood in the doorway to get once last look at him."A doctor once took away my son."Luka did not turn his back to her. He looked at her until she became no more than a blanched dot. The car was up ahead and the brightness of the glowstick faded. It didn't matter. Early dawn approached. Luka was in the car. Abby finished checking and cussing at the engine. The children were irritated by wakefulness. Luka looked to them, absently scratching at mosquito bites and brushing away strands of hair pasted to their faces by sweat."Daddy, where are we?" Ljuba asked."We had to stop at the side of the road," he explained.Abby got back into the car."We have to take this in when we get back to Chicago."She looked at her husband."Did I disturb your beauty sleep?"Luka was puzzled."Where did you go?"Abby huffed."I've been trying to fix this damn thing!"Luka shook his head."You were gone! I saw! I went...""Nowhere, Luka," Abby interrupted. "No, Abby, I was...""I don't want to hear it, Luka. No more arguing over my shortcuts. You'll remember the unwritten pre-nup- I am always right."Luka locked his jaw and tried to say nothing.Istina became especially chirpy."Are we going to Ice Cream Mountain?""No!" Luka abruptly returned.Abby scowled at him."Don't snarl at her! Someone woke up on the wrong side of the passenger seat."Abby turned to her daughter."There's no such place, Tina. We're going to Grandma's."Abby started the car and once more their journey was underway."Mama, will we have pancakes when we get to Grandma's?" Ljuba asked."Yep!" Abby affirmed."I hafta pee!" Milo cried out and tried to open the door.Abby groaned."Baby, mommy just got this car going.""He needs someone to help him," Ljuba said."No!" Milo cried. "I'm a big boy!""I'll take him," Luka offered and helped the toddler out of the car.Luka walked with Milo past brush, tree splinters and chokecherry trees. Through decaying branches, Luka could see the house. It was as dull in the dawn as it was in the dusk.Milo tugged on Luka's pantleg."All done."Luka smiled, took Milo in his arms, picked up his jacket from the tree splinters and returned to the car. 


End file.
